Cliff Lee has stayed quiet during his free agency, including with his friends.

“I talked to him on the phone earlier,” said Mark Balisterri said Thursday. “But not about baseball.”

Instead, the most sought-after free agent in baseball called his former high school coach in Benton, Ark. to discuss the cleats he is buying the baseball team, just like he has for the past six seasons.

“He doesn’t discuss a lot of what’s going on,” said Balisterri, who coached Lee for three years in high school. “I know if I was me and I was in that position, I’d be a nervous wreck. But he’s always been laid-back.”

That hasn’t changed throughout the bidding war that has developed with the Yankees, Rangers and perhaps the Angels, with Lee looking to cash in on a deal that could end up being worth up to $160 million over as many as seven years.

“I think the Yankees give him the best chance to win a World Series and that’s the only thing he hasn’t done,” Balisterri said.

Lee’s retired college coach, Norm Di Briyn, who headed the University of Arkansas baseball team for 33 years and still works at the school.

“I went duck-hunting with him last week,” Di Briyn said. “We spent the day together and he didn’t say anything about what was going on. He doesn’t tip his hand. I tried to get him to open up about I, but he didn’t bite. He’s pretty unflappable.”

Lee has his agent, Darek Braunecker, do the negotiating for him and apparently doesn’t worry too much about the details, even as the Rangers were reported to be on their way to visit him in Arkansas today.

“His roots are pretty strong here,” said Rusty Davis, a high school teammate of Lee’s who is Balisterri’s assistant. “He realizes life is more important than baseball. I don’t know how that will impact his decision and I don’t know which way he’s gonna go, but we’re all waiting to find out.”

The wait could come to an end this weekend, when Lee meets with Brauckenauer and they sort out the final offers from teams.

Nobody thinks he would shy away from pitching in New York.

“He’s pitched in New York in the spotlight and it didn’t bother him, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to go there,” Balisterri said.

“I don’t think money is the most important thing to him,” Balisterri said. “It’s important, very important, but there are other things. Plus, I don’t know if t matters after $100 million.”

Clearly, some would disagree.